Office of Public Information
City of Burlington
425 South Lexington Avenue
Burlington, North Carolina 27215
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Jennifer Smith
222-5076 (o) 516-6601 (m)
Date September 2,2005
________________________________________________________________________
CITY OF BURLINGTON
COLLECTING ITEMS FOR HURRICANE KATRINA VICTIMS
Burlington, Sept. 2, 2005 – The City of Burlington in conjunction with the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC, and its sister America’s Second Harvest Food Banks across the nation, are continuing efforts to collect specific items for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, and funds to help defray costs associated with responding to impacted communities in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida.
The City of Burlington’s collection site is located at Headquarters Fire Station, 215 South Church Street. Items may be dropped off any day of the week between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Specific items needed include: Food: single serving snacks in pop-top containers, and other single serving items, including granola, protein and breakfast bars – no perishables or glass
· Food: single serving snacks in pop-top containers, and other single serving items, including granola, protein and breakfast bars – no perishables or glass
· Water: Drinking water in
single serving plastic bottles
· Toiletries
· Paper goods
· Cleaning supplies
· Diapers and baby formula
· Flashlights/batteries
Donated items will directly benefit communities impacted by Hurricane Katrina.
“We expect to be in emergency mode for several weeks and possibly longer,” said Nan H. Griswold, executive Director of the Second Harvest Food Bank. “We’ve been hearing from so many generous individuals and area businesses wanting to help and I want to thank everyone who is stepping up to help meet the needs.”
Monetary donations to support the Second Harvest Food Bank’s disaster response activities can be made at www.hungernwnc.org. To make a financial donation to assist America’s Second Harvest Member Food Banks in affected areas, visit www.secondharvest.org.
Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC Donations made at the drop site will be delivered to the Second Harvest Food Bank so that they can be inspected, sorted and palletized before being distributed to sister food banks operating as staging areas closer to the impacted areas.
Additional information about the America’s Second Harvest Network Response:
An Emergency Operations Center is currently being established in a vacant Wal-Mart less than 20 miles from the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank. Staff there will be working to gather equipment, telecommunications, office furniture, and everything else needed to get operations up and running later this week.
The America’s Second Harvest Network is working in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Red Cross to provide disaster relief supplies to victims of Hurricane Katrina.
The cost to transport donations to impacted areas will be enormous. Companies interested in donating trucking can contact Maria Hough with America’s Second Harvest, who is working with FEMA and the Louisiana Office of Emergency Planning at (312) 263-2303 or mhough@secondharvest.org
About Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC
The Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina collects and distributes food and grocery products to more than 650 partner agency programs that annually feed thousands of people in need in 18 counties (Alamance, Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Caldwell, Caswell, Davie, Davidson, Forsyth, Guilford, Iredell, Randolph, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, Watauga, Wilkes and Yadkin). Since opening in 1982, the Second Harvest Food Bank has distributed more than 90 million pounds of food and grocery products. The Second Harvest Food Bank receives donations from national donors through America’s Second Harvest, the national network of food banks and food rescue organizations; local food manufacturers and distributors; local grocery stores, caterers and restaurants; USDA commodity programs; a State Nutrition Assistance Program grant, and community food drives. It is a member of America’s Second Harvest and the United Way of Forsyth County.
America's Second Harvest -- The Nation's Food Bank Network is the nation's largest charitable hunger-relief organization with a Network of more than 200 regional member food banks and food - rescue programs serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The America's Second Harvest Network secures and distributes nearly two billion pounds of donated food and grocery products annually. The America's Second Harvest Network supports approximately 50,000 local charitable agencies operating more than 94,000 programs including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs, and Kids Cafes. Last year, the America's Second Harvest Network provided food assistance to more than 23 million low-income hungry people in the United States, including more than nine million children and nearly three million seniors. For more on America's Second Harvest, please visit www.secondharvest.org.
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Jennifer Smith, Public Information Officer
City of Burlington
336-222-5076 office, 336-516-6601 mobile